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Say Hello To Ubuntu 11.10: Oneiric Ocelot
By Qushawn Clark
Expert Author
Article Date: 2011-10-20
The newest version of Ubuntu was recently released, and has quite a few shiny new features to take note of.
One of the first things you will notice with this new edition of Ubuntu is the fact that there is no option to switch back to Gnome from the now-default Unity desktop. It seems that they are trying to make it clear that Unity is here to stay, and that's just the way it is.
That being said, it seems as though there might not be that much reason to fuss about Unity in the first place. Sure, its different, and will definitely pull us developer types a little bit further away from the controls than we would like, but this newer version of Unity is one of the smoothest running desktops out there. There are upgrades to almost every part of the system, including one for the Ubuntu Software Center, which is looking more and more like one of the many thriving app stores around the web (except the vast majority of things on here are free).
It now has sections on the front page for new and top rated apps to keep you up to date with all of your software needs. Those of you who haven't tried out Unity yet will be surprised to see the launcher menu on the left side of your desktop. This is a feature very similar to that of the Mac OS X dock, and seeing as many Ubuntu users implement a 3rd party dock of some kind anyway, this should be a fairly welcome addition. Of course it is also fully customizable.
One interestingly useful addition to the OS is the new dash, which you bring out by clicking the Ubuntu logo right above the launcher bar. It provides an easy (and fairly immediate) way to find just about anything on your system, whether it be applications, music, pictures, etc. For music, you can sort by meta data such as genre or artist, and there are options for other file types as well.
Another feature similar to Mac OS is the application switcher, which allows you to easily unclutter your desktop for a moment and find exactly the window that you are looking for. Overall, it is a very nice distro that all Ubuntu users should at least take a look at and at least consider upgrading to. Also, this might be the best version for those who have never used linux to jump in on, as there is nothing else that looks quite as much like the other big OS's. Go to http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/whats-new and check it out.
About the Author:
Qushawn is a staff writer for the iEntry Network.
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